IN BRIEF Tuition rising at Connecticut’s state universities
The statement further noted that federal law requires the facility to provide 60 days’ notice to workers prior to its closing. In addition, Chaim Stern, the nursing home’s former operator, has pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzlement and tax offenses. Stern was also chief financial officer of Bridgeport Manor, an affiliate of the health care center, which closed in 2018 after it was revealed that he had diverted $4 million from Bridgeport Manor employees’ retirement plans to himself and a religious charity he controlled.
BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KEEP ITS NAME
Western Connecticut State University.
Students at the 12 community colleges operating under the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) banner can expect no increase in tuition and fees next fall — while those attending its four state universities are looking at a 3% to 4% increase. Students at the four state universities — including Western Connecticut State in Danbury — would pay $6,162 for full-time, in-state tuition, up from the current $5,924. University fees would rise from $918 to $946, while individual university general fees, which vary from school to school, would also rise. For out-of-state students, tuition would go from $17,726 to $18,436 with additional fee increases. Tuition would remain the same at the 12 community colleges, which include Norwalk Community College and Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. Full-time students pay $2,238 per semester, or $4,476 per year, while part-time students are charged $166 per credit, plus fees. Tuition at the online Charter Oak State College would also remain the same, with fees decreasing by $224.
Beginning this fall, full-time, first-time, in-state students will pay no tuition at the community colleges.
FTC SUES TO BLOCK SHELTON’S EDGEWELL FROM ACQUIRING COMPETITOR HARRY’S INC.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing to block Sheltonheadquartered Edgewell Personal Care Co. from moving forward with its proposed $1.37 billion acquisition of Harry’s Inc. The FTC stated that the acquisition would “eliminate one of the most important competitive forces in the shaving industry,” adding that Harry’s is “a critical disruptive rival that has driven down prices and spurred innovation in an industry that was previously dominated by two main suppliers, one of whom is the acquirer.” “The Harry’s and Flamingo brands represent a significant and growing competitive threat to the two firms that have dominated the wet-shaving market for decades,” said Daniel Francis, deputy director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “Edgewell’s effort to short-circuit competition by buying up its newer rival promises serious
harm to consumers.” Harry’s began as a direct-to-consumer wet-shave brand in 2013 that sold its products exclusively online. In 2016, Harry’s expanded its sales into brick-and-mortar retail stores. The FTC claimed Procter & Gamble and Edgewell were forced to reduce prices and developed previously unavailable value-priced products as a result of this third entity in the market. The FTC voted unanimously to issue the administrative complaint and to authorize staff to seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. An administrative trial is scheduled to begin on June 30.
One year after the Connecticut Airport Authority raised the possibility of changing the name of Bradley International Airport, the agency decided to keep the name. The facility was named in honor of Lt. Eugene M. Bradley of Antlers, Oklahoma, a 24-year-old who was killed in August 1941 when his aircraft crashed during a dogfight training drill at what was then known as the Windsor Locks Army Air Base. The military base became a commercial airport in 1947, carrying Bradley’s surname. The airport agency conducted a study of the benefits and challenges in changing the name and concluded that airports that are renamed do not see significant increases in passenger traffic based on a renaming. The agency also acknowledged that local veterans
groups expressed displeasure over the possible erasure of Bradley’s name from the facility.
CERC REBRANDS AS ADVANCECT; HIRES VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
The Connecticut Economic Resource Center Inc. (CERC) — the nonprofit corporation that seeks to advance business formation, retention, recruitment and growth in Connecticut — has rebranded as AdvanceCT. The rebranding effort represents a strategic transition stemming from Gov. Ned Lamont’s plans for the organization to collaborate more closely with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to drive business recruitment and retention. AdvanceCT also announced the hiring of David Campbell as vice president of business development. Campbell will lead recruitment efforts by growing relationships with national and international business clients and engaging with strategic partners across the state. Formerly with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Campbell has 17 years of economic development, international business and policy experience, including expertise in attracting foreign direct investment, entrepreneurs and innovative technologies.
BRIDGEPORT HEALTH CARE CENTER CLOSING
Bridgeport Health Care Center, the financially troubled nursing home at 600 Bond St., is closing after efforts to sell it failed. According to a state Department of Labor document, the judge in the health care center’s bankruptcy case ruled that “inattention to the physical plant infrastructure over decades made operation of the facility, without heavy state subsidies, impossible.”
Bradley International Airport.
FCBJ
FEBRUARY 10, 2020
7